A $6.5 million universal School Breakfast Program will soon provide free morning meals to students across all state government schools through a partnership with Variety Tasmania.
Education Minister Jo Palmer announced the launch of the initiative during a visit to Riverside High School today, with planning now underway for the statewide rollout.
“Students learn better when they have a full tummy and we know there is a clear link between nutrition and learning outcomes,” Palmer said.
“For a variety of reasons, many students arrive at school without eating breakfast including cost of living pressures, having to rush out the door, or having eaten very early due to long travel times.”
The program will expand on Variety Tasmania’s existing breakfast service, which currently operates in 40 schools across the state from Flinders Island to Dover.
When fully implemented, the initiative will be available to approximately 50,000 students in all government schools over the next three years, with the first phase expected to begin in early 2026.
Variety Tasmania CEO Mohammad Aldergham said hunger has an impact on educational outcomes in classrooms.
“A child who turns up to school hungry, they lose on average two hours of learning every single morning. If you multiply that by 200 school days, that’s a full term of falling behind their peers,” Aldergham said.
The Variety model offers a “click and deliver” system designed to minimise administrative burden on school staff and volunteers.
Schools with existing breakfast programs can maintain their current arrangements or transition to the new system.
Aldergham said Variety’s existing breakfast program, which costs the charity over $200,000 annually, has already demonstrated positive outcomes.
“There has been a reduction in school absenteeism, a reduction in antisocial behaviour and an increase in social engagement between students and school staff,” he said.
